Drain cleaner



June 2; 1942. R. c. ASNARD DRAIN CLEANER VIII!!!VlffllflllfldrillllI'll!!! Filed June 29, 1940 INVENTOR Patented June 2,1942 E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAIN CLEANER Remi C. Asnard, SanFrancisco, Calif.

Application June 29, 1940, Serial No. 343,201

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a drain cleaner, including a snake adapted tobe stored in a container one end of which is provided with a holethrough which the snake extends and which container and snake are soarranged that they may be rotated as a unit for removing obstructions inpipes, drains, sewers, etc. after the snake has been inserted therein.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device for cleaningdrains, including a snake and container to store said snake, which is soconstructed that the whole weight of the device, including the containerand snake stored therein is centered substantially near the point wherethe device is to be held by the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device for cleaningdrains, containing a substantially long length of snake, which may beeasily and conveniently rotatably operated in any position by oneperson.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a drain cleanercontaining a substantially long length of snake, which is constructed soas to balance about and be easily supported by one hand of the operator,while the other hand of such person operates the device by rotating itwith a handle more conveniently located than heretofore. Other objectsof my invention will appear in the specification and drawing annexedhereto. 2

In the drawing, 7

Fig. 1 is a side View of my invention partially in section to show thecontained snake.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the larger end of my invention, partially insection.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the smaller end of my invention, along the line33 of Fig. 1, with the snake shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the supporting handle of the device,partially in section, showing how it is connected to the container andoperating crank arm.

Briefly described, my invention includes a container in which a snake iscoiled while not in use,

the end of which snake extends through an opening in one end of thecontainer; The container is substantially funnel-shaped, the snakeextend- While the operator supports it by the handle. It is obvious thatbecause of the construction of the indented cap the handle liespartially within the confines of the container so that the center ofgravity of the whole device is substantially near the handle and theweight is positioned circularly around it. By this method of supportingthe device, it may be used with ease in any position by a single person.Heretofore, other similar devices have contained means for cleaningpipes and drains and amongst such devices are those described in thefollowing patents: I. D. Yohn, Nos. 2,037,103 and 2,037,104, April 14,1936; and J. Wrigley, No. 599,089, Feb. 15, 1898; and R. J. Kugelman,No. 2,042,407, May 26, 1936. Those devices include, generally,containers and snakes, but in none of them was consideration given to aproper distribution of weight around the supporting handle, if a handlewere included at all. In my device, that problem has been solved bypositioning the handle at a point substantially near the center ofgravity of the device when the snake is coiled therein. Thisconstruction enables my device to be conveniently used in any position,whether it is over the head of the operator or in an obstructed area,particularly where it is necessary to hold the device at some distancefrom the body, Without causing undue strain on the operator. The devicesshown in the patents named above are, as a practical matter, limited intheir use with upwardly facing openings. Held in other positions awayfrom the operators body, they would shortly tire the operator,necessitating frequent rest periods. Myinvention, on the other hand, hasbeen designed to overcome this limitation and to provide a drain cleanerthat may be used with any opening in any position by a single operator,by providing a supporting handle, properly positioned with respect tothe weight distribution, regardless of the position of the cleaner. Itprovides, as well, that such supporting handle shall remain stationarywhile the container and snake are rotated with respect to it.

In detail, my drain cleaning device is constructed with a container Isubstantially in the shape of a truncated cone with its larger endforming a short cylindrical ection 2 of constant diameter. The containerI may be provided with a number of small holes I for drainage andadmission of water for cleaning the coiled snake. This container may bemade from any suitable material, such as aluminum or sheet metal. Thelarger endof container I (the cylindrical portion 2) is closed by acircular cap or end piece 3, formed from the same material used in thecontainer. This cap 3 is substantially bowlshaped with sloping sides 4and a flat circular bottom 5, and is placed on the cylindrical portion 2of container l with the \bottom 5 and sides 4 extending into the centralportion of container I. The recess in the cap 3 formed by its bowl shapeis deep enough to position the bottom portion 5 somewhat nearer thesmaller end of the container I than is the plane formed by the bend ofcontainer l between its generally conical portion and the cylindricalportion 2. The cap 3 may be attached to the cylindrical portion 2 ofcontainer l by clamping the edge. 6 of cap 3 over and around the bentedge 1 of cylindrical portion 2 of container I, or by any other suitablemethod.

The closure formed by container l and cap 3 is open at the smaller endof container I. and to this smaller end is welded or brazed a shortpiece of heavy duty pipe 8, through which the end 9 of the snake It)extends. This short pipe 8 is fitted with a thumb screw ll adapted to beturneddown on the snake I3 to lock it at any given point to preventmovement of the snake relative to the container.

On the outwardly facing side of the flat indented surface 5 of the cap 3is positioned a metal sleeve I2 with a laterally extending flange 13 bywhich it is attached to the surface 5 by means of rivets- 14 or anyother suitable method. The metal sleeve I2 is threaded to receive oneend of a threaded rod or pipe l5. The rod is tightly threaded intosleeve I2 and a handle l6 with a hollow shaft along its axis is slippedover Attached to the other threaded end of the rod I5 and beyond the endof handle [3 is an operating crank arm i8 extending away from said rodand on the end of which is a knob [9 for turning the device while thehandle is held stationary.

The snake l9, when in the container l is coiled in layers next to theouter sides of cylindrical portions 2, or if the snake is longer,against the conical portion of container l. The snake I0, due to itsstiffness, tends to remain against the outer circumference of thecontainer rather than next to the sides 4 of the indentation in the cap.This is very desirable since it is obvious that the greater the diameterof the individual coil, the greater the amount of snake the containerwill store; The sides 4 of the indented cap 3 do not serve as, nor is itnecessary, to provide, guides to coil the snake adjacent the sides ofcontainer I, as the resilient construction of said snake causes it toautomatically coil near the edges of the container.

The extending end 9 of the snake I0 is enlarged in the conventionalmanner to provide for dislodging material which is clogging the drainand the other end of the snake l0, remaining within the container, neednot be anchored to the container.

In operation, the set screw H is loosened and a length of snake I0 ispulled out through pipe 8.

Then the set screw is tightened and the end 9 of the snake is insertedinto the drain or pipe. Holding the device by the handle l6 with onehand, the snake and container are rotated by means of crank arm 18 and,at the same time, the snake is forced into the drain or pipe. When allthe extending length of the snake has been inserted into the pipe, theset screw H is again unloosened and the container I is backed off,leaving the snake remaining in the same position. The set screw is againtightened and the operation is repeated until a suflicient length of thesnake has been inserted into the drain.

When the drain is cleared, the set screw is tightened and the wholesnake may be backed out of the drain by rotating the device and pullingit away from the hole. This operation, of course, may be performed insteps, the reverse of those described in the insertion operation.

It is to be noted that the snake automatically coils itself withincontainer l next to the outside walls, due to its springiness andflexibility and normally it does not come in contact with the walls 4 orfiat surface 5' of the cap 3.. The indentation so formed is solely forthe purpose of providing a supporting position for the handle I6 whichis substantially at the center of gravity of the whole device andthereby eliminates the use of large forces by the operator because oflever principles.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a portable drain cleaner of the character described including asnake coiled within the enlarged end of a hollow container the walls ofwhich container are formed by a pair of generally frusto-conical sheetmembers coaxially disposed one within the other with their enlarged endssecuredv together; the smaller end of the outer member of said pairbeing open and terminating outwardly beyond the smaller end of the innermember of said pair for withdrawal of the snake from the coil thereofand from said container axially of said coil through said open end ofsaid outer member; an. elongated handle carried by the smaller end ofthe inner member of said pair having a hand grasping portion encircledand enclosed by the enlarged end portion of said operator tocontinuously rotate said container in either direction on its axis whilesaid container and coil therein are supported by the first mentionedhand grasping said hand grasping portion of said handl'eI '2. A portabledrain cleaner comprising; a flexible and resilient snake; a hollowcontainer, the

larger diameter end of said inner member being open; an elongated handlelongitudinally coaxial axis of said members secured at one end to theysmaller diameter end of said inner member ro- 10 tatably supporting saidhandle thereon and secured to said crank at its opposite end; saidhandle being arranged and adapted for manual grasping by one hand of anoperator at a point within the enlarged end portion of said inner memberencircled by said coil for manually supporting said container and-coilduring rotation of said crank by the other hand of said operator.

REMZI C. ASNARD.

